Mediterranean Ground Beef And Yogurt Platter

Want to make a tasty recipe with ground beef and labneh? Try this Mediterranean ground beef platter served with thick, creamy Greek labneh yogurt and toasted pita bread. Let’s whip it up…

Why I love this Mediterranean beef platter recipe

• Great appetizer for a crowd or family style meal.
• Labneh is such a tasty ingredient to enjoy – this is an easy way to serve it.
• Use any ground meat – try ground chicken, or ground turkey, or ground lamb.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this Greek inspired dish.

For the Mediterranean ground beef

• Olive oil
• Ground beef
• Carrots
• Onion
• red bell pepper
• Garlic
• Dried spices: oregano, parsley, salt, pepper

For the yogurt spread

• Labneh or Greek yogurt
• Olive oil
• Fresh garlic
• Salt and fresh dill

For serving the beef and labneh platter

• Pita bread
• Fresh chopped parsley

How to make this Mediterranean ground beef platter

Now I’ll walk you through the steps of making this Mediterranean platter. You’ll see how to cook  ground beef with Mediterranean flavors, make the labneh yogurt spread, and how to toast pita bread to complete this appetizer dish.

How to make Mediterranean ground beef

Quick overview of steps

1. Cook olive oil and ground beef.
2. Add vegetables and spices. Stir.
3. Stir until the ground beef browns.
4. Serve with pita and fresh parsley.

Detailed steps

5. Turn a large, 3-4 inch deep pan on the stove to medium high. Add olive oil and ground beef, breaking up the ground beef into small pieces (aim for about a spoonful in each piece).
6. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan: carrots, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper. Stir ingredients together.
7. Stir Mediterranean ground beef mixture regularly (every 30-60 seconds or so), continuing to break up the beef as desired, for about 10-15 minutes, or until the ground beef is thoroughly browned. (note: if for some reason the ingredients in the pan get too “dry”, like if you leave it on the stove for too long after it’s done cooking, then add 2 tbsp tomato sauce, broth, or water to add more moisture into the beef).
8. Transfer to a serving bowl, or individual bowls, with labneh yogurt spread and pita bread. Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley on top.

How to make the labneh or Greek yogurt spread

1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic. Cook, stirring regularly, until garlic becomes fragrant and translucent, about 1-2 minutes into cooking.
2. Remove garlic oil from heat, let it cool down for a few minutes, then transfer to a medium or large mixing bowl.
3. Add labneh yogurt to the garlic oil in the mixing bowl. Add salt, and fresh chopped dill. Use a spatula to fold everything together, until combined.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl, and Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil and toasted pita bread, or chill labneh dip (without the olive oil), covered for up to 1 day, until it’s time to serve with pita bread. (note: olive oil drizzled on top should be added at the time of serving).

How to heat naan for pita bread

To heat pita bread, you can toast bread or air fry bread, or you can cook it in a frying pan with 1 tbsp butter or olive oil per pita. Fry it on medium heat for about 1-2 minutes on each side, until warm and lightly browned.

Serve your Mediterranean platter serving ideas

Option 1: Serve individually in mini Mediterranean bowls or little appetizer dishes with a large spoonful of yogurt spread on top.

Option 2: Serve party style as an appetizer dish on a large platter.

FAQs

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Meat thermometer recommendations

Every home chef needs a reliable meat thermometer to cook food perfectly. 

On Sip Bite Go, you’ll often see me using:

1. Meater thermometer – a fancy wireless thermometer that connects to a phone app – gifted to me from a Traeger partnership.
2. ThermoPro digital thermometer – which has a wire that connects the thermometer to a display box outside the oven/grill. 

It’s like being psychic! The great thing about either of the thermometers above is that I don’t have to take the food out of the oven to know the temperature. 

How to use ‘em… What I do is stick the digital thermometer in steak, pork, chicken, whatever… Then put the food in the oven, on the smoker, or grill.

While the meat cooks, it reads the temperature so I know exactly what temp meat is as it’s cooking. Without having to take it out and check. It’s really difficult to overcook food when you know exactly what temp it is inside!

Are you a foodie, too?

Hey home chefs, hope that answers all your questions about putting together this Mediterranean meat platter. If you’re looking for something similar, like a ​​Greek hamburger recipe, check out my sous vide lamb burger made with ground lamb and tasty tzatziki sauce.

To get my latest and greatest recipes before they’re shared on the site, connect with me on Instagram @sipbitego. And for more deliciousness, subscribe to the Sip Bite Go channel and see the Sip Bite Go recipe collection.